Feeding attachment for bottle-stoppering machines.



No. 664,884. Patented Jan. I, I901. N. MUSLAR. FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR BOTTLE STOPPERTNG MACHINES.

(Application filed. Max. 20, 1899.

(No Model.)

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H mli m z-r-waaa JamZ/W NHED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

NELSON MUSLAR, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AUTOMATIC BOTTLE STOPPER FEED COMPANY,

OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR BOTTLE-STOPPERING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,884, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed March 20, 1899. Serial No. 709,712. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON MUSLAR, acitizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Feeding Attachment for Bottle-Stoppering Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of ma- IO chines which is employed for securing crownstoppers onto bottles; and the object of my invention is to provide simple, efficient, and inexpensive feeding devices for automatically bringing successive crown-stoppers into position in such a machine.

To this end my invention consists of the features of construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, partially broken away, of a part of a bottle-stoppering machine provided with a feeding attachment constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, partially broken away; and Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the carrier for delivering crown-stoppers so that they will all face one way.

Machines for applying crown-stoppers to bottles now ordinarily comprise a verticallymovable head having a tapering throat for forcing the corrugations of crown-stoppers into locking engagement with a shoulder on the bottle-head. In the use of these machines it is now ordinarily the practice to insert the crown stoppers one at a time up into the mouth of the tapering throat by hand.

The speed of a hand-fed machine for apply- 0 ing crown-stoppers to bottles is necessarily limited by the skill of the operator, and when such machines are run by power the operators are in danger of having their fingers crushed between the tops of the bottles and the vertically-movable head. I have heretofore devised and applied to this class of hottle-stoppering machines different forms of automatic selecting and feeding devices, as shown, for example, in United States Patents No. 501,001, granted to me December 18, 1894; No. 607,262, granted to me July 12, 1898, and No. 612,865, granted to me October 25, 1898; and the especial object of my present invention is to provide a still further improved form of construction for automatically feeding crown-stoppers to the vertically-movable head of a bottle-stoppering machine.

To this end a feeding attachment for hottle-stoppering machines constructed according to my invention comprises means for directing crown-stoppers from a hopper or receptacle into a chute or guideway and an improved construction for turning or positioning the crown -stoppers so that successive crown-stoppers delivered to the machine will all face one way.

Referring to the drawings and in detail,

A designates the pedestal 0r upright frame of a bottle-stoppering machine. Mounted in the pedestal A is a verticallymovable 7o shaft B, which carries the head C. These parts may be of the ordinary or approved construction and need not be herein described at length.

Secured to the vertically-movable head 0 is a support or standard 11, carrying a receptacle or hopper 10 for the crown-stoppers. Extending down from the hopper 10 is a chute or guideway 12, which is forked or divided at its lower end to form two chutes or guideways 8o 13 and 14. Located at the fork of said chutes are switch-pieces 15 for directing crown-stoppers facing in one direction down into the chute 13 and for directing crown-stoppers which face in the opposite direction down into the chute 1st. The switch-pieces 15 may be of substantially similar construction to the switchpieces illustrated in the Patent to Woodland No. 613,349, dated November 1, 1898. The chutes 13 and 1% open into a cas- 9o ing 22, and movably mounted in the casing 22 is a carrier or movable piece 23 for taking the crown-stoppers from the chutes 13 and 14 and delivering them to a chute 24:, which extends down from the casing 22.

The carrier 23 may be moved or operated in any desired manner, and in practice I preferably employ connections operated by the screw feather or cam 25, which extends up through a slot in the center of the carrier 23, and a bracket 26 for supporting said screw feather or cam from the stationary frame A of the machine. By means of this construction the carrier 23 may be oscillated through substantially a half-turn on each stroke or movement of the vertically-movable head 0, so that crown-stoppers will be delivered from the mouths of the chutes 13 and 14 into pockets or recesses in the carrier 23, which will in turn deliver them to the chute 24, so that all of said crown-stoppers will face one way.

- In the construction illustrated the reverser 23 is provided with two passages or pockets. hen the passages through the reverser 23 I do not register with the chutes 13 and 14, the

upper surface or table or plate-surface of the reverser 23 closes the chutes 13 and 14, arresting the passage of crowns contained therein.

To select or feed the crown-stoppers from the hopper or receptacle 10 into the chute 12, I preferably employ a slotted reciprocating plate 16. The slot of said selecting-plate 16 is preferably substantially V shaped, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that as said plate is reciprocated crown-stoppers will be held up on edge in said slot and delivered to the chute 12, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Any ordinary form of connection may be employed for reciprocating the selecting-plate 16; but in practice-I preferably employ connections for reciprocating said selecting-plate 16 from the up-and-down motion of the verticallymovable head.

As herein illustrated, the connection for reciprocating the selecting-plate comprises a bell-crank lever 18, journaled in a bracket 17, carried by the hopper 10. The upper end of the bellcrank lever 18 is connected to operate the selecting-plate 16 through coiled springs 19 and 20, and by means of this flexible connection the selecting-plate may be held from operation whenever a crown-stopper becomes cramped or stuck without crushing or mutilating said crown-stopper. The lower end of the bell-crank lever 18 is connected to the stationary frame of the machine by means of a link 21, so that as the machine is operated the selecting-plate will be moved back and forth, as indicated in dotted lines.

In the operation of the machine the stoppers from the chute 24 may be inserted laterally into the tapering throat of the reciprocating head, as shown in my patents before referred to, or said crown-stoppers may be successively inserted up into said tapering throat, if preferred, as shown in my application for patent filed February 16, 1899, Serial No. 705,635.

I am aware that many changes may be made in the construction of my selecting and feeding devices for bottle-stoppering machines by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims and that certain features of my construction may be used in different situations and in differentcombinations, if desired. For example, the reciproeating selecting-plate may be combined with and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a stopper-feeding device, the combination of two chutes or ways, means for directing stoppers facing in one direction into one chute, and stoppers facing in the opposite direction into the other chute, and a movable carrier adapted to carry stoppers facing in one direction around to the opposite position of facing, and to permit direct passage of properly-faced stoppers, substantially as described.

2. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a hopper or receptacle, a carrier adapted to carry crowns facing in one direction around to the opposite position of facing, and to permit direct passage of properlyfaced crowns, and means for oscillating said carrier, substantially as described.

3. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a hopper or receptacle, a carrier adapted to carry crowns facing in one direction around to the opposite position of facing, and to permit the direct passage of properlyfaced crowns, and means actuated by the vertically-movable head of the machine for oscillating said carrier, substantially as described.

4:- In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination ofa hopper orreceptacle,a chute leading therefrom, a selecting-plate for straightening the stoppers so that said stoppers will pass edgewise into the chute, and yielding connections for reciprocating the selectingplate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a casing or receptacle, a carrier journaled therein, two chutes or ways leading to said casing, means for directing stoppers facing in one direction into one chute, and stoppers facing in the opposite direction into the other chute, and means for moving.

the carrier to deliver stoppers to a chute leading down from the casing, so that said stoppers will all face one Way, substantially as described.

6. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a hopper or receptacle, a chute ICC IIC

leading therefrom, a V-grooved selectingplate, a bell-crank lever carried by the hopper, and having a spring connection to operate the selecting-plate, and a link connecting the bell-crank lever with a stationary part of the machine, substantially as described.

7. Ina bot-tle-stoppering machine, the combination of a casing, a carrier journaled therein, two chutes or wa s opening into said casing, means for directing stoppers facing in one direction into one chute, and stoppers which face in the opposite direction into the other chute, said parts being carried by the vertically-movable head of the machine, and a screw or spiral cam carried by a stationary part of the machine to engage the carrier and oscillate the same when the head of the machine is moved up and down, so as to deliver stoppers all facing one way, substantially as described.

8. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a hopper, two'chutes or ways eX- tending from said hopper, means for directing the bottle-stoppers into said chutes according to the way they face, a carrier adapted to carry hottlestoppers facing in one direction around to the opposite position of facing while permittingdirect passage of properly-faced stoppers, a single chute extending from the carrier, and means for operating the carrier, substantially as described.

9. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a hopper, a chute extending therefrom branching out into two chutes, means for directing the stoppers into said two chutes according to the way they face, a carrier at the mouth of said two chutes, a single chute extending from said carrier, and means for turning said carrier, substantially as described.

10. In a bottlestoppering machine, the combination of a hopper, a passage extending therefrom branching out into two chutes, means for directing the stoppers into said two chutes according to the way they face, a carrier at the mouth of said two chutes, a single chute extending from said carrier, and mechanism for turning the carrier, substantially as described.

11. In a bottle-stoppering machine, the combination of a casing, two chutes connected thereto, means for directing stoppers into said chutes according to the way they face, a horizontal carrier arranged in said casing and having passages or holes registering with the mouths of said chutes, means for turning said carrier to carry stoppers facing in one direction around to the opposite position of facing while permitting the direct passage of properly-faced stoppers, and a single chute extending from said casing, substantially as described.

12. In a feeder for bottle-stoppering Inachines, the combination, of a hopper having an eXit-throatway for the crown-stoppers, means for separating the stoppers or crowns accordingly as they come from the hopper facing in one direction or the other, a chute adapted for conducting regularly-arranged crowns to the place of delivery, an intermediately-disposed pivotal reversing device adapted for arresting the crowns that face in one direction and carrying them around to theopposite position of facing, while permitting direct passage of the properly-faced crowns into said chute; and means for effecting rotative or partially-rotative motion in said reversing device, for the purpose set forth.

13. In a crown-feeder for bottle-stoppering machines, the combination of a hopper having an eXit-throatway adapted for passing the crown bottle-stoppers facing in opposite directions, a chute or conduit adapted for deliverin g the crowns in predetermined uniform order of facing, an intermediately-disposed separating appliance adapted for diverting the oppositely-faced stopper-crowns to two positions, and a horizontally-reversible carrier, said carrier having a compartment that swings into line with said two positions for receiving or passing the presented crowns, and a table or plate portion that obstructs or guards the delivery-passage when the compartment is moved out of line therewith.

14. In a crown-feeder for bottle-stoppering machines, the reversing-head formed With a table-surface, and a through -compartment for containing a crown in edgewise standing position, said reversing-head mounted on an upright axis or spindle within the frame; in combination with the frame provided with a chamber, a delivery-chute leading from said chamber, a guide or passway above said reverser for conducting stoppers thereto, and means for effecting rotative movement of said reversing-head, as set forth.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NELSON MUSLAR.

WVitnesses:

PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE, LoUIs W. SoU'rHeATE. 

